Interchangeable vehicle-body.



EATENEED MAE. 5, 1907.

"'IE'EEEGEANGEEBLE' VEHICLE BODY. -f

APPLIGATION FILED MAE. i. 100e.

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1 INTBRcH-ANGEABLE VEHICLE BODY.

' vAPBLIOATION FILED 1411.1. 190s.

i PATBNTED MAR. 5, 1907.,

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WALTER N. essonne', .or ci-nciicofiLLiNois.

-INTERCHANGEABLEvEHioL-BODY.

Speccation of Letters aten" l Patented March 5, 19,07.

Application filed March 1. 1906. Seria'lNe. 363,738.

Be it known that I, WALTER N. BEECHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State 5 lof Illinois, have invented certain new 4and Reference being had useful Improvements in Interchangeable Vehicle-Bodies, of which the following is a clear,'full, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to'provide a body for vehicles so constructed that the upf per partmay be removed or replaced by an. other upper portion, so as to vconvert the same from a coupe tonneau, landaulet, or a` limousine body or any@ other style of vehicle without distui`-bing the connection of thelower part of the bodywith the running-gear and do this quickly and ata minimum eX- pense, substantially as hereinafter fully de-v scribed and as particularly pointed out .in the claims. l ,i

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my invention having a limousinetop; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same withy a tonneau-top suspended above the same.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the style of body shown in Fig. l.' Fig. 4 is a transversevertical section taken on dotted line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail View of a locking device used ,inconnection therewith.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the lower body with the limousine removed.

to the` drawings, the lower part of the body7 is shown to comprise a suitable iioor A, having 'a-dashboard C at its forward end anda front seat B, the ends a of which I prefer to curve where they join the back b, the end edges of which extend to the transverse plane'of the lside of the vehicle. The side walls D of the body formthe end support for the seat, from thence extend to' the rear greatlyreduced in height for a Asufficient distance to forni the lower portion of the door-opening- To the 'rear of the door-opening the side walls are raised to the height of the rear seat and have j ainli for the their upper edges provided with inturned flanges c. These inturned iflanges c and a v transverseillange d, projecting horizontally forward from the upper edgesof the rear end wall F of the .body form the principal support for the rear ofthe superstructure composingthe removable upper portion of the ody of the carriage.

The upper body may consist of a limousine- ,i i top or a landaulet-top-or a coupe tonneau or arunabout tonneau or any other style of vehiole-.top capable of being laced and secured to the lower body, and l esire vto be considered as contemplating the combination of any style of removable upper body with any style of lower body permanently secured to the chassis of an automobileor gear of any other vehicle 'as within the scope of my invention. The upper body sliowii in Figs. 1, 3, f,and 4 `of the drawings is what .is known as a limousinei and consists ofv an inclosed rear part and an open front part, all under one roof G-f-that is, preferably form ed with or secured to the inclosed rear part or limousine. The front `end of the roof is supported by a drop-framework@ having vertical side strips f, that are connected at their lower ends to i the vertical 'side posts of the dashboard in such manner as to allow. of 'their being easily separated therefronn lf` desired, glass may beset in this drop-frame, or it may simply consist of the strips f, suitably reinforced by Vtransverse rails yto give it sull'icient rigidity. The front seat B of the lower body preferably hasits arm-rests lower than its back b andv the rear ,portions rounded where they merge into the same. `The back b of thel seat forms the central portion of the transverse wall 7L, .dividing the front from the rear portionof the body, rwhich wall 7L extends downward to the floor'of tl'iesaid body Vand has its ends extended slightly beyond where' the curved rear portion of the arm-rests merges into it, and terminate in-vertical corner-posts j, the upper ends of which are about as high as .the upper edges of theI arm-rests of the front seat. New the front wall l-l. of the incloscd rear portion of the upper body extends down .from thereof of the same in the same'transverse plane as wall 71, of thc lower body, and its ends terminate in corner-posts I, which when in proper position on the lower body rest on i Jc, which are secured longitudinally to thel upper and lower posts, respectively, and have their adiacent ends outturned andcon.- nected by a suitable bolt andnut. The side walls J and rear end wall K of the rear part of the inclosed portion of thcupper body ex- IOO` tend down from the roof such a distance that when the upper corner-posts` l rest upon the` lower posts j (the upper and lower bodies being in their proper horizontal position) .their lower ed'ges will rest upon the inturned flanges c c and d of the upper' edges of the rear part of the side walls and the rear end u on the iianges c c and d and are screwed) or otherwise connected thereto. The doors for the limousine are connected tothe forward edges of the side walls of the upper body, and when the latter is properly fitted upon the lower body'these doors close the space between said side walls and the osts I and the door-opening in the side Wal s of the lower body as well. Thus it will be seen that all that' it is necessary to do to secure the limousine to the lower body would-beto fasten the drop-wall to the dashboard, the upper corner-posts I to the-lower corner-posts y', and the rear seat and its extensions to the inturned flanges of the upper edges of the rear portion oi' the side walls of the lower body.

. This enables the upper body to-be easily and quickly secured in place or removed from the lower body. l

,ln Fig. 2 of the drawings I show a tonneau upper body in a position above and slightly separated from the lower body hereinbefore described. This tonneau consists of a rear end wall o, side walls n n, doors Q) p, hinged to the forward vertical edges of said side walls and a rear seat connecting the lower edges of said side walls and rear end wall and otherwise constructed the same as the seat Ii of the lin sine upper body hereinbefore described. vlhe doors j? p are only as high as the side walls, which latter when said tonneau is secured to the lower body'are about the same height as the arm-rests of the front seat and close the door-openings of the lower body.

I do not wish to be considered as limiting myself to the exact construction of the lower body, as that may be changed according as required to enablel the upper body to be secured thereto. I much prefer the lower body to be constructed, however, as shown and described.

l. In a vehicle the combination with .a permanent lower body having ans integral front seat, and a rear portionhaving a door opening therein, of an upper body removably secured thereto having an integral seat anda door closing the door-opening in said lower -2. In a vehicle the combination with a ermanent lower body havingh an 'integra ont seat, and a rear portion aving doorff openings in its sides, of an upper body'removably secured thereto having doors hinged to its side walls that close the door-openings in the lower body.

3. In a vehicle the combination with a permanent lower bo'dy having `a iront seat made integral therewith, and a door-opening in the rear portion thereof, of a roofed upper body removably secured thereto having a door-opening and having a door hinged thereto for closing the door-opening therein and the door-opening ofthe lower body.

4. In`avehicle the combination with a permanent lower body having a front seat made integral therewith, and door-openings in the side walls of the rear portion thereof, of a roofed upper body removably secured thereto having dooropenings in its side walls back of said front seat, and doors hinged to said last-mentioned side walls for closing both the door-openings therein and the door-opening in the lower body.

5v In a vehicle the combination with a permanent lower body having a iront seat made integral therewith, and door-openings in the side walls of the rear portion thereof, of a roofed upper body removably secured thereto having "door-openings in its 'side walls back of said front seat, doors hinged to said last-mentioned side walls for closing both the door-openings therein and the dooropening in the lower body, and a rear seat for said upper body.

6. In 'a vehicle the combination with a permanent lower body having a front seat made integral therewith, havingpa transverse wall in the same plane as the back of said front seat the ends of which terminate in cornerposts, of an upper part consisting of a roof overhanging said front seat and having a .transverse wall in substantially the same planeas the back-oi1 said front seat, the cri'ds of which terminate in vertical lLerner-posts that rest upon the corner -posts of the transverse wall of the lower body and a seat integral with said upper part, and means for securing said posts together.

7 In a vehicle the combination witha permanent lower body having a front seat inade IOO ITC)

integral therewith and having a portion eX- tending to the rear of said seat the side walls of which have door-openings therein and to the rear of said door-openings have their upper edges inturned, of an upper body consisting of a roof overhanging said front seat, door-openings in its side walls in the rear of said front seat, doors hinged thereto closing both the door-openings therein and the door# openings in the lower body, and a seat connecting the lower edges of the side walls at fthe rear of the door-opening.

.8.v In a vehicle 'the combination with permanent lower body having a front seat made integral therewith, having a transverse wall 'inthe same planks as the back cf'sa'id seat, the ende lof which terminate in corner-posts, and

having a portion extending to the rear of said front seat the side walls of which have dooropenings, and to the rear of saiddoor-opendoors'hinged thereto closing, both said dooropenings therein and the door-.openings in the lower body, anda seat connecting the lower "edges of said-,side walls at the rear of the door-opening and resting `and removably secured upon the inturned upper edges of the side walls of the rear portion of the lower body. 4 y i p V 9. 1n a vehicle thecombination with a pert manenti lower body comprising a dashboard,

a front seat made integral therewith, and a portion extending to the rear of said seat, of an upper body removably `secured thereto and consisting of 'a roof, a drop-frame secured to the forward endthereoi the lower edges of which are removablysecured to said dashboard, a seat within said upper body, and a transverse wall depending from the roof the lower edges of which are removably secured to the transverse structure of the 'lower body in about the plane of the back of the front` y seat. g

10. In a vehicle the combination with-a permanent lower body comprising a dash-f' board, a iront seat'made integral therewith, a portion extending to the rear of saidl seat the side walls of whiehhave door-openings therein, of an upper bodyv consisting of a roo,'a

.drop-frame depending from thejfront end thereofl the lower portion of whichl 'is,removablyy secured to the dashboard, a transverse wall depending from the roof in about the plane of the back of the front seat, the lower portion of which is removably secured to the structure of the lower body adjacentto said front seat, and comprising side walls having y door-openings which together with' the rear end wall rest upon and are removably se- `cured to the upper edges of the side and end walls of the lower body, and doors hinged to the side walls f the upper body for closing both thel door-openings therein and in said lower body.'

In testimony whereof `I hereuntoset my hand and seal this 16th day of February, A. D. 1906.

WALTER N. BEECHER.

Vitnesses: A

ADA M. COX, E. K.. LUNDY. 

